YFD responds to gas leak, causing a road closure

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Fire Department (YFD) responded to reports of a gas leak Sunday night.

In a press release, the incident happened in the area of S. 4th Avenue and W. 32nd Street at around 6:30pm after a 100-gallon propane tank leaked near a home.

Once they responded, YFD says crews "immediately upgraded the incident to include a Hazmat response, dispatching YFD Spec Ops."

YFD says Yuma Engine 2 (YE02) later arrived on scene and "confirmed the presence of propane in the air, utilizing air monitoring meters" and protective equipment.

However, YFD says YE02 unsuccessfully attempted to secure the leaking value, but other arriving units, such as Yuma Engine 3, Engine 6, Engine 5 and Ladder 1, "began evacuating the surrounding homes and deployed hose lines for fire protection."

YFD said Yuma Duty Chief 1 and YFD Hazardous Materials Technicians "agreed on an incident action plan that included 'flaring' the propane tank," allowing crews to "burn off" the liquid propane asa safe disposal method, after evaulating the failure of the tank.

YFD says crews deployed the flaring kit in the middle of a roadway "to avoid nearby hazards," connected the tank and disposed the propane product while hose lines remained deployed "for safety" and crews "continuously provided air quality measurements."

Furthermore, YFD said the road closure lasted approximately 2.5 hours and no injuries were reported.

Jana Loveless, a resident who lives nearby, said she hadn't been able to get home in hours.

"And a couple of hours since I turned the corner onto South Fourth Avenue extension to go home, and the street is lined with fire trucks, police, and the road is totally blocked. They tell me from 32nd to 14, County 14...that's why I kind of went away and did some other things because I didn't want to be close, although my husband's in that park and all my neighbors," Loveless shared.